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Tuesday, January 9, 2018

The Crown Prince's Bride by Donna Alward ~ New Release and Review

A Crown Prince gets a second chance at love with the woman who’s always been there - in the next book in the prince duology from Donna Alward!

The Crown Prince of Marazur is suffering from a broken heart. After losing his wife and future queen, he knows he’ll never find love again with a partner as wonderful as her. He’s thrown himself into his duties and is trying to be a better father to his two children, but he’s lonely. Even though falling in love seems impossible, so does spending the rest of his life alone.

Stephani has been Raoul’s assistant for years. Smart, loyal, and discreet, Stephani is fantastic at her job. Except for the fact that she’s been in love with her boss since her first week of employment, not that she would ever act on it. Besides, Raoul is first in line to the throne and she’s his assistant. If Raoul ever marries again, it’ll be with someone who can be a future queen. Not someone like Stephani.

When Raoul’s date for a state dinner is unable to attend, he invites Stephani. She’s well-versed on the issues and castle protocol, and Raoul’s always been comfortable with her. But when Stephani arrives, Raoul hardly recognizes her. Is this stunning woman the same one who’s run his office for years?

The Crown Prince’s Bride is the ultimate fairy tale for readers looking for Cinderella to get her prince—and be able to keep him past midnight.

Elizabeth's Review

3.5 Stars

Review Copy Provided by Publisher via Net Galley

This was a cute, sweet read.
Raoul is a Crown Prince and widowed father of two. Stephanie is his long time assistant, his right hand, and his deceased wife's cousin. It turns out that Stephanie has also had a crush/been a little bit in love with him for a long time.
Having seen these characters previously (in the first book of this Duology), it wasn't difficult to slip right into this well written story. I genuinely liked both Raoul and Stephanie, but I have to admit some frustration with how he handled the situations around their budding romance. As I read, I found myself really rooting for Stephanie. I appreciated how she decided to take matters into her own hands and put herself first, even if it meant leaving behind what she loved.
My one real complaint - and the thing that kept this from being a full 4 star read for me was how the author handled the "big conflict/resolution" part of the story arc. I feel like she had something set up that would have allowed for Stephanie to really stand on her own and for Raoul to make a truly grand gesture, but didn't pursue that line of the story. The direction taken was ultimately sweet, but I felt like it was the easy road and a bit trite.
Overall, I enjoyed this story and was happy with the resolution. If you've read Diego and Rose's story then this is a book you'll want to pick up too.